BBC Breakfast host announces sad cancer news as co-star says 'it's not a death sentence'

BBC Breakfast hosts Sally Nugent and Jon Kay announced some heartbreaking cancer news on Tuesday's show. Before speaking with guest Johnny Nelson about his father, who died of prostate cancer, they discussed Sir Chris Hoy's latest diagnosis.

Sir Chris Hoy opened up earlier this year about his stage four prostate cancer diagnosis and that it was incurable.

They also shared a clip of experts talking about a new prostate cancer screening, which hopes to catch the earlier signs of the disease and could "save thousands of lives".

After playing the clip, Jon Kay said, "Let's talk further about this. Shall we be joined on the sofa by David James from Prostate Cancer Research, the charity that's released this report, and with him is former world champion boxer Johnny Nelson, who's been campaigning to raise awareness of prostate cancer, for you've got your own reasons."

Sharing his own heartbreaking story, Johnny shared, "My father passed away from prostate cancer earlier this year, and you know what? He came to England in the late 1950s, and he had that old-school mentality.

"And you hear the horror stories about finger up the bum, but you've got to have these uncomfortable conversations, and guys have to feel comfortable having the conversation.

"And he wouldn't go there. Wouldn't do it. As my father passed, there was a group of me and my friends, and we talked about it, obviously, the grief and the sadness, and the guys decided to start getting screened.

"Two of them discovered they were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and so it's just having the awareness and the courage to say, 'I'm going to do this. I don't care what the stigma is'.

"Unfortunately, we as men don't talk to each other enough to feel comfortable doing such a thing, and leaving it too late, my father is a prime example."

He went on to say, "I know two... three people that were diagnosed with prostate cancer and left it too late. So I think this is so, so important."

Later on in the conversation, Johnny urged other men to get checked. He said, "It's not until it hits closer to home and makes you sit up and think this is real.

"When it gets close to home, then the reality kicks in. 'This could be me, it could be my brother'."

Sally questioned whether men are "frightened" of getting tested, while expert David James pointed out, "And that's the key thing about prostate cancer, is if you catch it early, the chances of survival are really, really good, but it's when it's caught late.

"Like, Sir Chris Hoy, for example, who, unfortunately, you know, in the time of his life, was diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer because his was caught too late."

Before wrapping up the interview, Johnny reiterated that prostate cancer "is not a death sentence." He added, "A diagnosis of prostate cancer is not a death sentence, and that is the message that guys need to understand, so don't bury your head in the sand."

BBC Breakfast airs daily at 6am on BBC One.